We stayed at 9 Beaches for 5 days in August and I can safely say this is the best hotel I have ever stayed at. The location is fantastic, the beaches were beautiful, and the Cabanas were everything we expected. We had stayed in the Fairmount in Southampton for 4 nights previously so it was refreshing to stay somewhere more laid back and relaxed. Though it did concern us a bit when our taxi driver from the Fairmount to 9 Beaches sais 'You do know they are tents don't you?' Clearly he's never spent a week in wet and windy Wales because this is definately not camping.

Our cabana was right between 2 secluded beaches, so we had a choice for snorkelling - which we really enjoyed, and our Veranda was shaded in the afternoon (very important for us Brits who rarely see the sun) so we could get out of the sun if we needed to. The Cabana can get a bit hot if you don't keep the windows open. This is fairly easly fixed by, um, keeping the windows open.

We had heard compliants that the staff weren't very helpful at 9 Beaches, and a couple of people even mentioned it whilst we were there, but we never had any problems with this. The staff in the dining room were very helpful and friendly - despite the fact they were clearly rushed of their feet and working ridiculous 12-14hr shirfts. This is probably a case of you get what you give. i.e. it helps to be nice to people and smile if you want good service. You're on holiday - How hard can that be??? The front office staff were also excellent - even allowing us to stay in our room late for free because our flight wasn't until the evening (they usually charge for this)

The food was excellent - breakfast had a great selection and dinner was amazing, with a great variety of options (try the Butter Chicken). The A La Carte roon service buggy was always prompt and the food was always hot.

One down side of our holiday was nothing to do with 9 Beaches, or Bermuda itself. For those of you who haven't been to Bermuda before BEWARE. Its expensive, which means it attracts the worst kind of person - lots of money, no manners, and surgically attached to their PDA's. For this reason alone we won't go back to Bermuda. There is nothing worse that listening to people who are being rude to staff and needlessly complaining about everything, whilst still trying to do their jobs from the Beach with their Blackberry's. However if you do decide to go, 9 Beaches is definately the place. We had the opportunity to compare it with the 'best' hotel on the Island - the Fairmount in Southampton - and 9 Beaches is defiantely more our kind of place.

My husband and I spent 6 nights at 9 beaches in the middle of August 2008. We loved the main beach, beautiful views and the snorkeling. And, we would return...but not in August, and probably not July either. I read reviews talking about how warm the rooms are, but figured between the wind (we were in a cabana on the windward side), fans and the a/c unit, we'd be fine. Boy was I wrong!

I enjoy summer and warm temperatures, but nonstop sweating while on vacation in your room/cabana takes its toll. It was really uncomfortable, especially while trying to sleep. During the day we escaped it by being in water. We spoke to other guest who were worn out by the unbearable heat as well.

Also, the cabana had quite a bit of mold growing on the ceiling, walls and lamps. Those poses a bit of a problem for people with mold/mildew allergies.

The previous reviews of the food seemed accurate. Breakfast is free and decent. Lunch and dinner are quite expensive and not very tasty. Though, the desserts were pretty good.

Aside from Dockyard, 9 Beaches is located quite a distance from other parts of the island. The 9 beaches minibus goes to a few places (Dockyard - $4, Horseshoe Bay - $7), but overall traveling is tricky and expensive if you take a taxi. The ferry from Dockyard to Hamilton and St. George's is a nice way to travel. But, be sure to check the times. The last ferry to St. George's leaves at 3 pm from Dockyard. Hamilton ferries run later.

Snorkeling is amazing at 9 Beaches. There are tons of fish and coral around the reef right off of the main beach. We went to Horseshoe Bay, but it was overcrowded and the waves did not make for good snorkeling. We also tried Church Bay, but the water was choppy, and there is a hard reef where the waves crash that make it difficult to get to the calmer water. We were lucky to have the best snorkeling right at our resort. We also rented a kayak and paddle boat, which was fun. If you do this, look out for rays and sea turtles!

The views from our cabana (Sea Forever) were incredible. It is amazing to stay that close to the water. And, the main beach was never crowded and had calm waters, which made snorkeling, swimming and floating on a raft really pleasant. The pool was small and clean, but we never went in since the ocean water was so warm and beautiful.

Here is how I came up with a rating of 4 out of 5:

Beach - 5
Views from cabana - 5
Snorkeling - 5
Pool - 4
Staff - 4
Location of resort - 3
Dining - 1-2
Cleanliness of Cabana - 1-2

My husband and I just returned from Bermuda last night and I'm missing the island already. Our stay at 9 Beaches was wonderful. We stayed in a Sea Forever cabana on the point and it couldn't have been any better. Our porch looked over a high cliff with a secluded beach underneath. The breeze blew through our front doors and windows all day and we closed up and turned on the air at night (this worked well because of the nightly storms that were very romantic). During the days we layed on the beach, went snorkeling and scuba diving, took a Hobie cat out for a sail, and toured around the island by scooter. In the mornings we ate a good breakfast at High Tide, checked in with delightful Concierge Willy, and went on our way. The buffet luches and all inclusive dinner events weren't our thing so we found some nice low key, good food restaurants near by. Loved the Salt Rock Grill!
Tips to share- Have your taxi stop for snacks and drinks on the way to the resort. Bring coolies to keep your water cool and plastic baggies for snacks during your outings. Only turn your air on after the sun goes down. Rent a scooter to have freedom to come and go as you please. Go to the dockyard and Horseshoe bay when "cruisers" aren't in town. Always wear a bathing suit and bring a towel because you'll never know when and where you'll find the perfect beach. Wake up early and go for a walk-mornings are beautiful and quiet. Bring a transportable speaker for your ipod in the cabana. Fill a little trashcan with ice and drinks and spend an evening watching the sunset at the little beach facing Daniel's Head island.

9 Beaches is exactly what we wanted- a beautiful place to enjoy ourselves and relax. I believe that if you have the setting put in place for you, you can make the experience a great one. The people from Bermuda are beautiful, positive, easy going, and welcoming to visitors. If you are not willing to fit in, then maybe you should decide to stay home. The only negative about my vacation was hearing others complain. People should want what they have and not always need to have what they want.

My husband and I spent five glorious days at 9 Beaches, and it was everything we wanted it to be and more! First of all, being only a two hour flight from NYC was fantastic! The staff was accomodating, friendly and helpful in every way. Willy, the conceirge, was simply the best. He put all my fears to rest, and did everything he could to make our stay as peaceful and stress free as he could. Of course when you are in paradise, it's hard to be stressed. We loved the casual atmosphere, and the cabanas were amazingly comfy and sturdy! Everything was clean, neat, and attended to, all throughout the resort. The food was wonderful, attention to detail on the dinner menu was suberb. my only critique would be they could probably do a better job of the breakfast buffet, even though it is included in the price of your stay, they could've done a bit more with the buffet, maybe more variety of fresh local fruits, someone available for omelets, belgian waffles, etc? They have a wonderful golf cart that goes around the resort delivering all sorts of food items that you can order through the cell phones you are given at check in, and the food and delivery of same is suprisingly great! (didn't know what to expect from a golf cart)
Laurie at the front desk is a gem, as is Lucinda in the restaurant. Lillian and Happy made our special "platinum dinner" a seamless wonderful last night to our stay, they are both very special people..
Whoever is in charge of hiring at 9 Beaches should be applauded, as all of the staff my husband and I had any dealings with all went well above what was expected of them.
Both my husband and I can't wait to return to 9 Beaches, as it was one of the best vacations we have ever enjoyed!